Details

Subjects:

Illumination of books and manuscripts, Thai.
Māleyya.
Buddhism -- Rituals.
Heaven -- Buddhism.
Heaven.
Buddhism.
Hell -- Buddhism.
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Thai -- Specimens.

Form/Genre:

Specimens.
Folded books.
Illuminations (visual works)
Manuscripts, Thai.
Manuscripts.
Manuscripts, Digital.

Language:

In Pali (Abhidhamma chet kamphi) and Thai (Phra Malai) (Khom).

Summary:

Illustrated manuscript of the Abhidhamma chet kamphi (chanting prompts for text chanted at funerals), followed by the popular story of Phra Malai (a monk who visits heaven and hell), a sutta-like prelude about the Buddha giving a sermon about the Abhidhamma in Vesali after giving it to his mother in heaven, and a second copy of the beginning of the Abhidhamma chet kamphi.

Contents:

Abhidhamma chet kamphi (f. A02)
Phra Saṅgaṇī paripuñño (f. A03)
Phra Vibhanga paripuñño (f. A04)
Phra Dhātukatha paripuñño (f. A05)
Phra Puggalapaññi paripuñño (f. A06)
Phra Kathavatthu paripuñño (f. A07)
Phra Yamaka paripuñño (f. A08)
Phra Mahāpaṭṭhana paripuñño (f. A09)
Phra Malai (f. A09-A46, B04-B35)
[Buddha's sermon on the Abhidhamma] (f. B35-B37)
Abhidhamma chet kamphi (f. B37-B38).

Notes:

Written in 10 lines per illustrated folio, 11-12 lines per text folio.
Probably written in the 1890s (Justin McDaniel).
Samut khoi paper, mostly white but with several colored folios, with writing in black but occasionally in gold; folded concertina- or accordion-style, including upper cover.
Manuscript illustrated with images of monks, corpses, and Phra Malai episodes, in the style of Krua In Khong, possibly by one of his students; informal sketches in pencil of three figures (f. B47).
Covers with a border formed of additional layers of heavy paper; text on upper cover in gold.
Probably written and illustrated in or near Bangkok in the 1860s (Justin McDaniel).

Penn Provenance:

Names of two patrons, Nai Rak (Mr. Rak) and Mae Khong (Mother Khong), written on the cover.
Sold to Konrad and Sarah M. Bekker in the 1950s or 1960s; Konrad Bekker worked for the State Department in Asia and Sarah Bekker was an art historian.
Sold from the estate of Konrad and Sarah M. Bekker at auction at Sloans & Kenyon, 14-16 June 2013, lot 466.

Cited as:

UPenn Ms. Coll. 990, Item 5

Contributor:

Nai Rak, associated name.
Mae Khong, associated name.
Bekker, Konrad, died 1981, former owner.
Bekker, Sarah M., died 2013, former owner.

OCLC:

865510416